House Parent Couple - Lanoka Harbor, NJ

Grace Initiatives is seeking a married couple to serve as House Parents in our residentail living home, Grace's Place. Grace Initiatives' mission is to empower pregnant and parenting young women to make a healthy plan for their future and for their babies' futures by providing housing, counseling and life-skills education. We are located at the Jersey Shore and are passionate about equipping young women with information, an education, skills and a living example of a loving Christian home.

The House Parent couple shall each be called of God, be committed to serve and willing to work with staff to create a Christ-centered home atmosphere for pregnant and parenting young women, who are 21 years old and younger, at our residential home - Grace’s Place. 

Candidates for this position will be a couple with compassion and a heart to care for young women and who also are willing to lovingly speak truth into their lives. This full-time position is for a couple who is not activelyparenting, but parenting experience is certainly a plus.

Position Objectives:

The primary role of both parents is to provide a nurturing and grace-filled, yet structured home (not institutional) environment. House Parents live full-time at Grace’s Place and work very closely with the Case Manager and Executive Director to empower each of the young women who live at Grace’s Place to make her own healthy plan for her future and her child’s future. The right House Parents will have an understanding that women will come with deep hurts and painful experiences.  Therefore, both House Parents shall be willing to be trained, mentored and discipled in utilizing a biblical approach to minister to the clients of Grace Initiatives. 

The House Parents shall report to the Executive Director, and will function as part of a team which includes the Case Manager, the Counselor and other support staff and volunteers.  The House Father is permitted to be employed outside of the home, during weekday, daytime hours.  The House Mother shall not be employed other than by Grace Initiatives.  Employment includes the necessity to be occasionally available 24 hours in the event of an emergency, labor and delivery, or other client/staff illness.

Compensation:

House Parents will receive full-time housing, utilities and food while employed by Grace Initiatives.  A financial compensation package is also offered, upon the completion of training and upon House Parent’s readiness to accept full-time residents at Grace’s Place.  A rotating schedule of time off will include evenings, weekends and vacation time.

Qualifications:

1.         Be married a minimum of three (3) years

2.         Be mature and committed Christians

3.         Be active in a local church

4.         Be at least 28 years old, with maturity sufficient to assume the responsibilities for young women in care

5.         Possess and maintain good spiritual, physical, and emotional health; must have annual physicals including TB skin test.

6.         Possess education, training and experience sufficient to equip them for the duties assigned

7.         Neither shall not be the perpetrator in a substantiated report of neglect or abuse

8.         Both must possess a valid NJ driver’s license, auto registration and auto insurance

It’s important to note, the ministry of Grace Initiatives is based on, and sustained by grace,  both for our clients and for our staff.  Although, our job descriptions are written with high standards, we corporately and personally understand that each of us can only attain these standards of excellence under the (1 ) calling, (2) direction and (3) control of God as Lord and Savior in each of our staff’s personal lives. 

JOB DESCRIPTION

1.         Take responsibility for the day-to-day activities of the Home and care of the young women.

2.         Provide spiritual leadership to young women and lead devotions each weekday.

3.         Set an example of a loving Christian man/woman, able to guide and direct in a family situation and provide examples for domestic skills.

House Father:  able to guide and direct as a healthy spiritual leader in a marriage/family situation.

House Mother: able to guide and model a biblical role in a marriage/family situation;  able to teach, by example, various domestic skills.

4.         Maintain upkeep on house, yard and vehicle as abilities allow, and request household repairs as needed.

5.         Enforce family guidelines and discipline in loving manner.

6.         Schedule various activities for the Home and its residents, including housekeeping, food preparation and special outings.

7.         Assist each woman in developing her gifts and talents by recognizing such gifts and lending encouragement and praise.

8.         Help each woman meet appointments and other responsibilities.  Know where each woman is when she is outside of the Home.

9.         Monitor leisure time activities, including monitoring of the TV, music, phone calls and visitation.

10.       Provide a means of physical exercise and recreation to the women.

11.       Maintain an attitude that promotes availability to the women.

12.       Try to be aware of each woman's emotional needs; work to help them enter in the activities of the Home and improve their self image.

13.       Be willing to minister to boyfriends and/or fathers, as opportunities arise.

14.       When applicable, maintain necessary contact with teachers, employers, and social workers.

15.       Attend and contribute in staff meetings, specifically in regards to each clients Individual Service Plan and her Transitional Living Plan.

16.       Maintain records such as daily journals, medication distribution logs, and food pantry inventory.

17.       Complete purchase orders for food pantry items and household supplies, as needed.

18.       Help oversee and supervise both volunteers and work groups when they come to help around Grace’s Place.

19.       Husband should be willing to take over wife’s duties in her absence such as preparing meals while she is at hospital assisting the young woman through labor and delivery.

20.       Attend any workshops or conferences that are recommended to increase skills and staff development.

21.       Assist the Executive Director as needed.